House Reyne
House Reyne of Castamere is a lordly house from the Westerlands, making their seat in the mainly subterranean castle of Castamere. The blood of House Reyne is that of the First Men, and they can trace their lineage back thousands of years to some of the first folk to step foot in the hills and mountains of the Westerlands. Here they mined and grew rich off of great deposits of silver & gold, achieving wealth comparable to that of the more famous Lannisters of Casterly Rock, though eventually they bent their proud knees, swearing fealty to King Loren Lannister of the Rock. The Reynes are a proud house, and one known for its great warriors, commanders and the like. From the House Reyne have come such warriors as the great Ser Robb Reyne and more recently the Red Lion himself, men of great martial prowess. However, the Reynes are also known for picking the wrong side. During the Dance, the Lord of Castamere himself died fighting for the Greens on the shores of God's Eye, and Robb Reyne, for all his skill at arms, fought with the Black Dragon during the first Blackfyre Rebellion, and though he was of a cadet branch his shame still haunts the Lords of Castamere to this day. Since Robb's folly, however, the Reynes have been loyal vassals and bannermen, to both the Westerlands and their King. Once, near all men of House Reynes primary branch are red of hair, though as of late they have leaned towards being gold and brown of hair. Lord Raynald Reyne (Born 195, Ruled 201 - 247 AC) Lord Raynald became Lord of Castamere at the tender age of 6 after the untimely death of his father Berthram at 8 and 30. Despite his young age, Raynald would soon grow out of his aunt Eleyna's regency and the brief reign of the Tarbecks over their own liege lords. The Lord of Castamere was and still is well known for his skill at diplomacy and the great ambitions he held for his house, ambitions he turned into reality when he managed to betroth his beautiful daughter, Ellyn, to Tybald Lannister, heir to the Westerlands, taking Tion on as squire. Unfortunately, whether Raynald would have furthered his family's prestige and power even more so is unknown, for any plans and ambitions he once held were smashed on the walls of Starpike. Though the Peake uprising at first seemed a minor inconvenience - one minor and crippled lordly family fighting all 7 kingdoms - it took its toll upon the realm. Raynald rode to Starpike with his son, Roger, and his good brother, Ser Tybald Lannister, along with half the lords in Westeros, including King Maekar himself. However, when the Storming of Starpike was over, only one of those great men was left standing, the new Lord Roger Reyne. Lord Roger Reyne, the Red Lion (Born 211, Ruled 247 - 267 AC) The Red Lion's reign began in the smashed castle of Starpike, and his first act upon hearing of his father's death and his own ascension to Lord was to seek vengeance, slaughtering 7 of the Peakes captured during the storming before Prince Aegon stopped him from harming any more of the traitors ilk. Upon returning to his fastness in Castamere, Roger and his cunning brother Reynard would proceed to arrange a second marriage for his sister Ellyn, with Gerold agreeing to marry his new heir Tion, twin of Tybald, to his brothers widow. Roger and his brother Reynard would oft be found as Casterly Rock during the height of Ellyn's influence as the future Lady of Casterly Rock, but when Tion too died and the already wed Tytos became heir apparent, the Reynes lost much of their influence at court and left for Castamere. Roger, already a famed knight and battlefield commander, would later lead his levymen in the War of the Ninepenny Kings capably. During the war of the Ninepenny Kings, the Red Lion would knight his young squire, Lord Kevan Lanniser, son to Lord Paramount Tytos. Shortly after this, Roger's wife of many years, the baseborn Alysanne, would die, after which he would marry Alys Darklyn, though she gave him no children. The Red Lion would eventually die not in combat, but abed and in peace at the age of 56. Rafford Reyne (Born 234 AC) Not long after this the Red Lion would be faced with a difficult decision in how to punish his younger son, Ser Rafford Reyne, after the man "accidentally" butchered a local whore. Rafford would be sent to the Wall, where the man would rise to the rank of ranger. His daughter, Tyressa, is notable for marrying Lord Aeron Greyjoy, son of the late Lord Paramount Quellon Greyjoy. Lord Kevan Reyne (Born 231, Ruled 267 - 286 AC) Lord Kevan took up the reins of leadership after his father, famed knight and commander Roger Reyne, died peacefully in his sleep. Though Kevan was never much of a warrior like his father, nor a particularly adept administrator, he had been a charismatic and well liked man from an early age, despite his flaws. Despite the Lord's temper and blunt honesty, he is well known for his kindness, charity and general way with words, when it suited him. His robust and likable personality won him a good deal of important friends throughout the realm, including the Lord of Duskendale, Hand of the King, and Lord Kevan Lannister. Whilst at first glance Kevan seemed about as far from his father as a Reyne could be, he had much and more in common with the late Red Lion - namely their ambition and deep set desire to see their House rise in power, wealth, and prestige. Unlike Roger, Kevan has not yet overstepped himself, though his recent ascent to Justicar has done much for his family's influence and prestige. Kevan's fondness for drink would be the end of him. It was during a feast with some of his court and family that the Lord Reyne drank his last cup of wine before abruptly collapsing into his roast capon. Though at first he was believed to have simply fallen asleep, within a few hours of being put to bed by his sons, Ser Kyle and Ser Gerold, Maester Bors found his Lord dead. His eldest son and heir, Ser Kyle, inherited Castamere shortly thereafter. Lord Kyle Reyne (Born 248, Ruled 286-287, 297-300 AC) Lord Kyle Reyne's first and most pressing issue upon his inheritance of Castamere was the substantial debt accumulated by his father - a massive sum owed to the Iron Bank worth some 3 times more than House Reyne's treasuries. The late Lord Kevan had, unfortunately, kept his loan secret to even his close family, leading Kyle to feel some suspicion towards the debt collectors which came knocking a few days after his father's passing. Additionally, the Lord felt ill inclined to paying off a debt by taking yet more debt. As a result the new Lord of Castamere made his first and most disastrous decision, electing to send off the Iron Bank's representatives with nary a groat, claiming to owe the Braavosi nothing. He continued to rule his lands without incident for 16 months longer before the Iron Bank collected it's due. It was in 287 that the young Lord Tymos Tarbeck, primary vassal of Castamere, decided to assume the late Lord Kevan's debt, and using an additional loan from his Braavosi bedmates contracted a large contingent of sellswords to supplement his meager banner levy. Shortly after that Lord Tymos declared war on his rightful liege despite being outnumbered near 2 to 1. The Debtors War (287 AC) The war began with Lord Kyle and his bannermen, numbering some 5,000 levymen and near 600 knights, gathering near the hall of Castamere. Kyle and his supporters believed the war would be a short one - their enemy was outnumbered and regarded as a dishonorable craven by most, and he was sorely outnumbered, having been able to call only some 2,300 men including the Braavosi sellswords. As such, the Lord of Castamere decided not to bother his allies in the Golden Tooth with this minor dispute - nor did he call upon the Plumms or Pipers. Instead, Kyle marched with his bannermen shortly after they convened, heading for Tarbeck Hall so as to smash the rebels host. It was en route to the enemy castle that Lord Kyle made his second mistake, putting his goodsister Mylessa Royce in command of his army's center and electing to himself lead the left flank. Though most acknowledged Lady Royce's skill at commanding troops, they felt ill at ease following a woman into battle. Still, Kyle had long been fond of his brother's wife, and considered her his best Commander. Tymos too outsourced command of his military forces, electing to appoint Captain Kelis, leader of his sellswords, as supreme general of the Tarbeck's troops. Kelis, knowing of the Lord Reyne's approach, retreated south into Maunhill, laying siege to Westerham, hoping to bait Castamere's army into the rough, hilly terrain surrounding it. With a call for aid from his vassal, Ser Quenton of Westerham, and assurance from his military advisers that they could easily defeat the smaller Tarbeck force, Kyle took the bait, pushing south. It was in the hills around Westerham that Kelis formed his army up in easily defensible terrain and waited for the army of Castamere to engage, which they did quite happily, believeing victory to be assured. The Battle of Westerham was surprisingly brief. After initial success with a massed cavalry charge, the infantry element of Lord Kyle's army pushed into the gap in Kelis's lines, only to run into the Tarbeck's reserve forces - hardened sell swords lying in wait behind the Tarbeck poorly armed and trained levymen. The melee that ensued was intense, but it wasn't long before Lord Castamere's center began to waver - the disorganized charge composed mainly of levymen was having terrible difficulty pushing uphill into professional soldiers. After about an hour of bloody conflict all across the battlefield, the forces under Lady Royce's command finally broke - a fact many blame on their woman-commander. With the center routing, Tarbeck's troops were able to push through Castamere's lines and swiftly envelop their flanks, now outnumbered - the majority of Lord Kyle's troops had been fighting in the van. Kyle sounded a general retreat not long after the center's collapse, but before he was able to escape south with the rest of his forces, Lord Reyne was cornered and captured by Tymos's sellswords. His brother and regent, Ser Gerold, only barely escaping the battle with his life, sued for peace shortly afterwards, fearing for Lord Kyle's life. Lord of Castamere Castle (287-297 AC) Lord Kyle emerged from the dungeons of Tarbeck Hall blinking, confused and already in a rage. Despite his wish to resume the war immediately and reclaim his family's title, he was bound by honor to the peace treaty signed by his brother Gerold in his own name, promising that the Castamere's would honor the Tarbecks as their liege lord and remain at peace with their new rulers for 10 years. Kyle's War for Castamere (297 AC) After over a decade of gathering funds, men and allies among the vassal lords of Castamere, Kyle Reyne finally sprung into action in the middle of 297 AC. The second war over the Lordship of Castamere began much the same as the first - overwhelming Reyne forces marching south from Castamere to lay siege to Tarbeck Hall. The Tarbecks, no longer able to afford mercenary allies, found themselves unable to afford sell swords to supplement their meager forces, and as such Lord Tymos decided to use his levy as a supplement for Tabeck Hall's garrison forces. This would, however, prove his most crippling mistake. Years of debt and using what meager income they possessed to pay interest to the Braavosi had left the larders of Tarbeck Hall insubstantial, and when Lord Reyne's cavalry managed to pillage and burn most of Tarbeck's fields before they could bring what harvest they possessed into the castle Lord Tymos was forced to seal himself and his army within his own hall. By the time the bulk of Lord Kyle's army arrived at Tarbeck Hall the swollen garrison had already eaten through most of their food stores, and within two months the outnumbered and surrounded men of Lord Tymos were eating rats and horsemeat. Desperate to retain both head and title, Lord Tymos decided to rid himself of a few thousand mouths whilst hopefully fending off the Reyne forces. It was on the first day of 297's 10th month that Lord Tymos sent the majority of his half starved forces out of his keep to sally forth and smash the Reyne host. Under the command of Lord Tarbeck's cousin, Ser Tomas Tarbeck, the main host of Lord Tymos would attack the Reyne siege camps during the hour of the wolf, hoping to route and slaughter Lord Kyle's forces whilst the majority slept. Ser Tomas, seeing the well fortified positions of Lord Reyne and his forces numerical inferority, decided instead to sally forth and immediately surrender both his person and army to Ser Kenric, commander of the guard stationed by Tarbeck Hall's main gate. Though not all of Tomas's troops laid down their arms with their commander, most of his army was happy to be done with war, and those that decided to fight on were promptly slaughtered. Within a week of his cousins defection, Lord Tymos surrendered to Lord Kyle, after which he was promptly carted off to Castamere's deepest, darkest dungeons. Final Years (297 - 300 AC) After the death of Lord Tymos in captivity, Lord Kyle would grant Tarbeck Hall to his cousin, Lord Tomas Tarbeck, despite protests from Dake Hill, Tymos's baseborn son. The rest of Lord Kyle's reign would be uneventful - a peroid of peace and growth following two major wars. During this time he groomed his young son, Ser Rhaegar Reyne, and eventually contracted a flu which would promptly kill him at the age of 2 and 50. Before his death, however, Lord Kyle was able to procure a series of documents from the Crag with the aid of his brother Ser Gerold, a collection of papers detailing the lands, character and history of Lord Damon Reyne allegedly stolen from Castamere by Westerling agents a hundred years past. These histories, written by Maester Oswell (of whom there is little other record), spoke of how the Lord Robar Westerling paid Lord Damon homage as his vassal lord, detailing Robar's role in Damon's sporadic wars with reavers from across the sea as a loyal bannerman and provider of levy troops. Maester Oswell too wrote of Damon's magnificent sword, a valyrian blade by the name of Red Rain - one whose description matches that of House Drumm's Red Rain perfectly. Though these documents are of questionable authenticity, they would be utilized a few months after Kyle's death by his son, Lord Rhaegar Reyne when he declared a war of reconquest on the Westerlings of the Crag.